THE burgeoning property boom is creating a near-impossible task for those struggling to get onto the property ladder, experts warned.

First-time buyers now face paying 12 per cent more for their starter home than they did a year ago [GETTY - Picture is posed by Models]

Typical first-time buyers now face paying 12 per cent more for their starter home than they did a year ago, which the Office for National Statistics (ONS) warn is the highest annual increase seen for this sector since April 2010.

In June, which is the most recent month for which the figures are available, the average price paid for a house by a first-time buyer was an eye-watering £204,000.

House building is now at its highest level since 2007 and continuing to grow, and 200,000 new affordable homes have been delivered across England since 2010

Brandon Lewis, Housing Minister

Campbell Robb, chief executive for housing charity Shelter, warned: "Today's house price hike is yet another blow for people across the country desperate to put down roots and create a stable home.

"No matter how hard people work or save, millions are being priced out of a home of their own, caught in the 'rent trap' and constantly moving from one expensive property to the next."